A few hours later, it was time to go. “Come on, boys! We’ve gotta stop somewhere on the way home.” “Where are we going?” “We’re gonna stop and pick up some cheesecake for Aunt Katie.” “Oooh! Do we get dessert too?” Jared chuckled. “Yeah, you guys can get dessert too.

After Gen dropped me off, I went to the door, garment bag in hand. Jensen was on the couch but he shot up when I walked in. His eyes went to the bag and he grinned. “You found one!” he exclaimed. “I did! J, it’s perfect!” He made his way over to me, resting his hands on my hips. “I’m so glad.” “So how did your day with the boys go?” “Well, first I took care of the wedding stuff. Our catering order will be ready in time and I got the flower situation fixed too. Then we went to the park for a few hours and on the way home, we stopped and got some dessert. I brought home some of that cheesecake you like so much.” “Oh, you did?” He nodded and I leaned in to hug him. “Thank you! For everything you did today. I really appreciate it J.” Jensen placed a kiss to the top of my head. “Love you, sweetheart.” “Love you too, J.”

“Honey,” Jensen walked into the kitchen where I was sitting at the dining table. “What are you doing up so late?” “Just thinking,” I murmured. He pulled out a chair and took a seat next to me. “About?” “The wedding. It’s coming up pretty soon.” “Not getting cold feet, are you?” He asked. I chuckled. “No.” Sighing, I placed my hand on his cheek lovingly. “We’re getting married, J.” He smiled at that. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.” He took my hand from his cheek, kissing the palm before enveloping it in both of his rough hands. “J?” “Mmm?” “Thank you.” “For?” “For always being there. For putting up with all my problems. For protecting me. You could have easily decided I wasn’t worth the trouble. That I was damaged goods after what happened with Josh. But you didn’t.” Jensen’s jaw tightened at the mention of Josh but he quickly relaxed, his eyes bore into mine. “Katie, I love you. So much. Nothing is ever going to change that. No matter what happens. You aren’t damaged goods. You are so incredibly strong. You’ve gone through so much but you’ve endured it all. You haven’t stopped fighting. And that makes you even more beautiful. I can’t imagine what it must have been like. But here you are. Strong and brave and beautiful.” Tears filled my eyes and I looked down. A few escaped and Jensen gently wiped them away with his thumb. “I am getting married to the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. You are more beautiful than I could have dreamed and stronger than I thought possible. I’m not putting up with you. I am in love with you.” As more tears trickled down, Jensen pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me. “I love you more than I ever thought possible, Katie. And I am so lucky to be getting married to you.” I clutched Jensen’s shirt, amazed by his feelings for me. He loved me. He truly loved me. And I loved him. So much. He was so kind and funny. He knew just how to comfort me when I was down or anxious. He stuck beside me through all the bad. He protected me. He helped me get back on my feet after my abduction. He went with me to therapy and stayed up with me when I couldn’t sleep. He was absolutely the most incredible man I had ever met. And I knew, I was the lucky one.

Part 39

@mariahoedt

@spn-ficfanatic

“No, it’s not, J!” I exclaimed. “The floral shop got the wrong flowers, the caterer cancelled my order, and I can’t find a dress that I like!” “Honey, it’ll be fine. We can fix all that.” “The wedding is in less than a month, Jensen. And I haven’t found a dress. What am I going to do?” Jensen pulled me closer, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Here’s what we’re going to do. You, Kate, are going to call Gen and the two of you will spend the day picking out your dress.” “But, J—” “I’m not finished,” he spoke softly but I quickly silenced myself and looked down at the carpet. Jensen sighed before lifting my chin so that our eyes met. “You and Gen are going to look for dresses. Jared and I will watch the boys and I’ll find time to call the floral shop and the caterer and get everything straightened out. All you have to worry about today is finding a dress that you love. I’ll take care of the rest. Okay?” I bit my lip and nodded.

Gen was at the door not twenty minutes after my call, ready for our girls day out. As we were walking into the third shop of the day, I was beginning to lose hope. “Kate, we will find you the perfect dress if it takes us all day. We aren’t going home without it.” We began looking through the dresses before an employee came out to help us. After listening to the style I was looking for, she brought several dresses for me to try on. I didn’t care for the first six dresses I tried on but as I walked out in the seventh dress, I teared up. “Gen, this is it.”

“I don’t care if its not traditional. She wants lavender with baby’s breath for the centerpieces and daisies for her bouquet.” Jensen paused for a moment, listening to the woman on the other end of the line. “Because she likes daisies! No, this is her only wedding and I want it to be perfect for her. If she wants daisies for her bouquet, that’s what she is getting.” Jensen rubbed his forehead roughly. “Yes, white and purple daisies.” He sighed, frustrated with the woman. “No, I don’t care how much it costs.” Jensen looked up as Jared walked in with the boys. “Yes, thank you.” Jensen shoved his phone back into his pocket and stood. “You sure you’re okay to do this, buddy?” “Yeah, it’s just…wedding planning is hard. I don’t know how Kate managed as long as she did. That woman on the phone was ridiculous! She wanted us to change the flowers because they weren’t wedding-y enough for her. Who cares?! It’s not her wedding.” “Unca Jensen? Why are you mad?” Tom questioned. Jensen knelt down in front of the boys. “I’m not mad, buddy. I’m just trying to make everything perfect for Aunt Kate.” “But why?” “Because I love her. I want our wedding to be everything she dreamed it would be.” “Am I going to be in the wedding?” “Of course! You and Sheppy are going to be the ring bearers.” “Ring bears?” Shep asked and Jensen chuckled. “You’re going to bring the rings to me and Aunt Kate so we can get married.” “Oh.” Jared smiled down at his sons and his best friend before slapping Jensen on the shoulder. “Well, are we ready?”

Part 38

@mariahoedt

“What hurts?” Jensen stroked my hair while rubbing my back. “Chest.” I buried my face in his shirt and bit my lip, trying to distract myself from the pain. “Okay, what else?” I repositioned, resting the side of my face on his chest. “Hard to breathe. Tired,” I whispered. “Should I take you to the emergency room?” He asked, concerned. I shook my head. “Don’t like doctors,” I murmured. Jensen sighed. “Fine but if it’s still hard to breathe in the morning, I’m taking you to the doctor.” I didn’t respond, having already fallen asleep. Jensen sighed once again and lay his head back down on his pillow.

“Katie,” Jensen nudged me gently. “Kate, babe, wake up.” I didn’t stir and Jensen grew worried. “Kate, Cliff and Jared are downstairs waiting. Katie?” He touched two fingers to the pulse point in my neck, sighing in relief at the feel of blood rushing through my veins. But when he watched my chest for movement, he saw none. Moving closer, he positioned his ear directly in front of my face and his eyes widened in fear. “Jared!” he yelled. Jared and Cliff ran up the stairs to Jensen’s room, stopping at the door. Jensen turned to them quickly. “She’s barely breathing! We need to take her to the hospital.” Cliff quickly sprang into action, going downstairs to start the car. Jared, however, froze. He didn’t move as Jensen picked Kate up and walked past him. “Jare, come on. We’ve gotta go. Jared!” Jared flinched and finally started following Jensen downstairs and to the car. Cliff drove quickly but carefully, maneuvering cautiously through the streets of Vancouver.

Jensen and Jared paced in the waiting room as Cliff sat in one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs. Every time a doctor came out, the stopped and stared, hoping for news. Finally, they heard, “Ms. Padalecki’s family?” The boys quickly stood in front of the woman as Cliff stood. “It appears to be a severe case of secondary drowning. When Ms. Padalecki was under water, she swallowed water, which entered her lungs. As a result, she is having difficulty exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide when she breathes.” “So what can you do?” “Well, right now, we have her on a ventilator. If she doesn’t improve in a few hours, however, we will need to take her in for a bronchoscopy to clear out the debris in her lungs.” “Is she awake?” Jared questioned quietly. “No. One of the symptoms of secondary drowning is extreme tiredness so she may be out for a while. I wouldn’t worry, though. If the ventilator isn’t enough, we’ll do the bronchoscopy and she should be just fine.” “Can we see her?” “Yes, just prepare yourselves. It can be pretty scary to see loved ones on a ventilator. She’s fine. She just looks a little weak.” The doctor led them to Kate’s room. The boys sat next to her bed, Jensen and Jared each holding one of her hands while Cliff waited by the door. They sat silently until Jared noticed slight movement coming from his sister. “Katie?” Kate’s heart rate sped up, the beeping of the monitor quickening and worrying the boys. Kate took in a strangled breath and her eyes shot open in fear at the feel the ventilator. The beeping continued to quicken and Cliff slipped out to find a nurse. “Kate, baby. I need you to calm down, okay?” Jensen whispered as he brushed the hair from her face. “You’re alright.” Kate’s wide eyes stared into his concerned ones as Jared squeezed her hand gently. Her heart rate eventually slowed and she glanced over at her brother, tears threatening to spill over. “You’re in the hospital, Kate.” Jared said. Kate’s heart rate sped back up momentarily until Jared continued, “It’s okay. You’re alright.” Kate reached up towards the ventilator before Jensen took her hand and moved it to rest on her stomach. “You can’t touch it. You’ve gotta let the nurse take care of it, okay?” Kate pouted slightly but nodded nonetheless. Once the nurse removed the ventilator, Kate relaxed against the bed and closed her eyes. “Sorry,” she whispered. Jensen smoothed back her hair. “What are you sorry for?” “For scaring you. You wanted me to go to the doctor last night but I wouldn’t let you take me. S’my fault.” “No, none of this is your fault, Katie. If that moron hadn’t tried to drown you, none of this would have happened.” Jensen stood and raised his voice. “And that wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Josh! And I couldn’t—” Kate reached out, weakly grabbing Jensen’s hand in an attempt to calm him. “I couldn’t protect you,” he finished lowly, not looking her in the eyes. Kate pulled him in for a hug, squeezing as tightly as she could, and refusing to let him go when he tried to pull away. “Don’t ever say that. Don’t talk like you haven’t saved me. I could have killed myself after Josh.” Tears started pouring down Kate’s face as she continued. “So don’t say you haven’t protected me. Because you have. More than you know.”

Part 37

@mariahoedt

“Cut! That was great, guys. Kate, hold tight while I check the footage.” I nodded before starting to swim around in the lake, trying to warm myself up while Jared started to walk away from the dock to talk to the crew, I guessed. Strangely, Caleb was still underwater but I didn’t think too much of it until I felt a hand wrap around my ankle and I jumped in surprise. “Very funny, Caleb. You got me.” I said, rolling my eyes. When he didn’t let go and resurface, I looked down in confusion before I felt him yank. I screamed as he pulled me under the water, not even having time for one last breath. I fought against Caleb but he wasn’t going to release his grip easily. Beginning to panic, I fought harder but still, Caleb’s grip remained firm. This wasn’t just a joke. Black spots formed in my vision as I continued to kick and fight but nothing worked. Slowly my world faded to black.

Jared turned back toward the lake at the sound of his sister’s scream. His eyes scanned the water but found nothing. He took off running towards the lake, diving into the water without hesitation. Once under the water, he began to search again. When he finally found her, he saw Caleb was pulling her down but she wasn’t struggling at all. She must have passed out already. He moved quickly to Caleb, trying to release his grip on Kate. When she was finally free, he kicked quickly, wanting to get her to land as soon as possible. Once they broke through the water, he gasped for a breath but there was no similar action by Kate. Holding on to her, he swam to the dock where a crowd had formed. Jensen was crouched at the edge of the dock, eyes full of concern for his fiancée. He reached out and Jared passed his sister over to his best friend. Jensen pulled Kate out of the water and laid her down on the dock. He leaned down and pressed his ear to her chest, checking for a heartbeat. Finding none, his heart dropped and he started CPR. Jared climbed onto the dock and watched in concern as Jensen tried to revive Kate. Minutes went by and Jensen was becoming frustrated. Why wasn’t it working? Tears formed in Jensen’s eyes as he began to wonder if she would live through this. Would he ever see her smile again? “C’mon, Katie. Breathe. Breathe.” Jensen continued compressions as tears fell down his cheeks. It felt like it had been hours since they pulled Kate from the water but Jensen wouldn’t stop, not until she opened her eyes. He paused his compressions for a moment to give her a breath before feeling a hand on his shoulder. “J, she’s gone.”

Part 35

I leaned against the wall, sliding against it to sit down. “You look exhausted.” Jared handed me a cup of coffee and I took it gratefully. “I am exhausted.” “We could have just stayed home. Bob would have understood.” “Yeah but then we would have been behind. I’ll be fine.” “Will you?” I looked up at my brother, seeing the seriousness on his face and new we weren’t just talking about surviving the day anymore. “Yeah, Jared. I’ll be okay. Josh is taken care of. He didn’t hurt you and I…” I paused for a moment before continuing, “I’ve had worse.” Jared’s gaze softened and he sat down next to me. “As long as I have you and Jensen, I’ll be fine.”

Slowly, the day went on until the clock struck midnight. “Alright, guys. Let’s finish this scene and then we can all go home.” I sighed in exhaustion. I was beginning to think that Jared and Jensen were right. We should have taken the day off. I was starting to feel lightheaded and standing up from my place on the floor was proving difficult. Jake, the actor playing one of the vampires in this episode, reached his hand out towards me. I took it and he pulled me up easily. “You sure you’ve got this, Kate?” I nodded but the small movement made me dizzy and I had to steady myself as I stumbled slightly. Jake looked doubtfully at me as I walked over to my mark but followed to his place in front of me. “And Action.” We began our fight sequence easily enough. Everything was fine until my vision started getting hazy. I tried to keep going but ended up moving forward at the exact moment Jake’s fist shot out. Too late, I realized I was supposed to dodge and my arms shot up defensively, trying to protect my face from the blow to come. Jake’s fist slammed me and I fell backwards as another wave of dizziness came on. Landing on my back, I got the wind knocked of me. I tried to take in a breath as I heard “Cut!” from somewhere in the room. As my vision cleared, I was able to make out Jake’s worried face in front of me. “Kate, are you okay? I knew this was a bad idea.” I shook the rest of the fogginess out of my head before responding and sitting up. “I’m fine. I just got a little dizzy.” I tried to stand but Jake pushed me back down. “I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.” “Jake, really, I’m fine.” “I just punched you in the face. Stay down until Jimmy gives you the okay.” I sighed but relented as I saw Jimmy, our medic, was already on his way over. Jimmy knelt down beside me and checked the side of my head before moving on to see if I had a concussion. “You’re lucky, Kate. No concussion. This time. What happened?” “I just got a little dizzy, that’s all.” He raised his eyebrows and bit his lip for a moment. “Maybe you should head to the ER to get checked out. You hit your head last night too, right?” I nodded reluctantly. “You’re done for tonight. Get Cliff to drive you to the hospital before you head home and then…get some rest. Lots of it.” Jimmy helped me up as Jensen and Jared ran onto set. “What happened?!” I rolled my eyes, upset that they were making such a big deal out of nothing. I let Jimmy explain before Jensen helped me to the car. Jared explained everything to Cliff as he drove us all to the hospital. We sat silently in the waiting room for an hour before my name got called. The nurse grilled me, with Jared and Jensen waiting outside, about how I had gotten hurt. It was obvious she thought it was one of the boys who had hurt me at first but once I explained that I was an actress shooting a fight sequence, she let it go. Cliff and the boys rushed back in once the nurse left and sat with me while I was waiting for the doctor. Doctor Marshall spent all of ten minutes in the room with us. She said that I had no concussion and she concluded that the dizziness was due to exhaustion. Stating that I should get a good night’s rest and plenty of water, she left us. “I told you it was nothing,” I muttered. “Exhaustion’s not nothing,” Jared argued. I rolled my eyes and thankfully, Jared let it go. Jensen wrapped his arm around me and led me out to the car with Cliff and Jared trailing behind. We were only in the car for five minutes before I fell asleep against Jensen. He sighed in relief and kissed my forehead, glad that I was finally getting some rest.

I woke with my head pounding. I had fallen asleep crying into Jensen’s chest and he had carried me back to his trailer. I opened my eyes and looked around for Jensen, still needing his presence. I heard him before I saw him. “No. Cancel the interview. We’re not doing it.” I heard him whisper. “No, she’s not in any state to –. I don’t think the convention is a good idea either.” I turned as Jensen came walking into view. He stopped when he saw me. “Katie, you’re awake. Hey, how are you feeling.” I felt horrible but ignored his question. “Who are you talking to?” He sighed. “Elizabeth.” “You’re not canceling our appearance at the convention, are you?” “Liz, I’m gonna have to call you back.” He ended the call and set his phone down before turning back to me. “Kate, I don’t think it’s a good idea—” “Jensen, fans are expecting us. It’s two days away. We can’t just not show up.” “Katie—” “We’re going.”

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” “Yes, Jensen. I’m sure.” I slid into the car, Jensen following me soon after, only hesitating for a moment. When we arrived at the hotel, we followed Clif into the green room several bodyguards flanking us. We were each required to have two bodyguards at all times. The boys and I sat down on one of the couches and our bodyguards dispersed throughout the room. It was odd having so many bodyguards but I had to admit, they did make me feel safer. We sat there in silence for a while, waiting for our panel to begin. Typically, there was a lot of laughter going on backstage but we were all exhausted so we sat in a comfortable silence before our handler came to escort us, and our bodyguards, to the stage.

I don’t know how long I sat there before Jared found me. “Katie?” He knelt down in front of me. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” I took in a breath. “Josh is back,” I managed to choke out. “What?” His eyes widened. “Vancouver PD called. They think he’s in town,” I whispered. Jared grabbed my forearm and pulled me up. “We’ve got to talk to Clif. Tell him to increase security.” I stayed silent as he pulled into one of the buildings and to one of the conference rooms. Once he had let go of my arm, I pulled out a chair and sat down slowly. Jared paced back and forth while we waited for Clif. He had his phone in his hands, typing rapidly when Clif rushed through the door. Clif sat down across from me and Jared explained everything to him. I still had not spoken a word since Jared had pulled me into the building. Not long after, Jensen ran into the room. “What’s going on?” Jared answered all of his questions while I stared at my lap. Jensen fell silent and sat down next to me. “We are going to figure this out, Katie. He’s not going to hurt you again.”